Dark Knight still #1, Total Recall #2

For the weekend of Aug 3-5.

1.  The Dark Knight Rises - $36.44 million ($354.64) - 3 wks (WB) -41.3%
 . . . 4242 screens / $8590 per screen
2.  Total Recall - $26 - 1 wk (Sony)
 . . . 3601 / $7220
3.  Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days - $14.7 - 1 wk (Fox)
 . . . 3391 / $4335
4.  Ice Age: Continental Drift - $8.4 ($131.86) - 4 wks (Fox)
 . . . 3542 / $2372
5.  The Watch - $6.35 ($25.36) - 2 wks (Fox) -50.2%
 . . . 3168 / $2004
6.  Ted - $5.48 ($203.41) - 6 wks (U) -25.5%
 . . . 2767 / $1980
7.  Step Up Revolution - $5.3 ($23.1) - 2 wks (Sum) -54.8%
 . . . 2606 / $2034
8.  The Amazing Spider-Man - $4.3 ($250.64) - 5 wks (Sony) -35.8%
 . . . 2425 / $1773
9.  Brave - $2.89 ($223.32) - 7 wks (BV) -32.9%
 . . . 2110 / $1370
10. Magic Mike - $1.38 ($110.89) - 6 wks (WB) -47.3%
 . . . 1202 / $1148

When you add up production and marketing costs, Total Recall cost Sony about $200 million.  A special-effects heavy actioner like this might do well overseas, but it can only be chalked up as a disappointment for the studio.  Word-of-mouth will likely be poor (31% rating on Rottentomatoes.com) and next week has three potential hits opening, so Total Recall should quickly drop and end with a domestic haul around $65-70 million.

It was a big risk by the studio to give the lead role to Colin Farrell. He's been involved in successful movies (Horrible Bosses, Minority Report), but the highest-grossing movie where he's been top-billed is 2003's Phone Booth, at $46 million.  Farrell isn't much better than Taylor Kitsch when it comes to casting in a big-budget film.

So The Dark Knight Rises still likely won't catch The Dark Knight in box-office, but it's still on course to pass $400 million and be one of the top fifteen highest-grossing movies in history.